'healthy and delicious' on Serious Eats

Broiled grapefruit? Yeah, broiled grapefruit. While this recipe's appeal might understandably be limited, I implore my fellow grapefruit lovers to give it a shot. To you others: If you like the health benefits of the tart citrus fruit, but not necessarily the bitter tang, this is your deal. More

While those mini-meatballs are undoubtedly the high point, the generous helping of vegetables—onions, celery, kale, and escarole—really beef the soup up (so to speak), and make it thoroughly nutritious. A little Parmesan added at the end is a nice touch, as well, providing both a little bit of salt and a tiny bit of creamy goodness. More

This week's recipe, Frittata with Mushrooms, Bacon, and Parmesan, is one of those lightened dishes. I used the basic frittata recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, replaced most of the eggs with egg whites, plugged it full of mushrooms and onions, reduced the Parmesan, and made the bacon a flavoring agent, rather than the focus of the dish. These four actions cut the fat and calories significantly, yet the frittata remained dang tasty. In fact, after we each had one piece, my husband went back and polished off another. More

Poblano Black-Eyed Pea Dip is a solid stand-in for when you finally get sick of hummus. If you've ever experienced Chickpea Fatigue, you know it doesn't happen often. But when it does, usually as a result of too little variation in your dip/spread repertoire, finding a temporary substitute is advisable. More

When one thinks of Carrot and Raisin Salad, "hip" and "healthy" may not be the first words that come to mind. More likely, it's "church potluck" or "distant relative's funeral buffet." Well, this slightly sweet, no-cook vegetable side dish deserves better than that, especially with a few updates. More

Chicken breast is both the bane and the boon of the healthy eater. The trick to non-underwhelming chicken is slicing the thicker breast into thin fillets and quickly browning both sides in a pan. It worked for today's dish, Chicken with Artichokes and Capers, a lighter version of the usually fried Chicken Piccata. More

Frequently overshadowed by more colorful produce, the humble parsnip deserves more props than it often receives. The slender, goldenish root vegetable possesses the sweetness of a carrot and a slight starchiness that suggests a potato, all while packing a nice little nutritional punch. A good source of potassium, parsnips are also high in fiber, as well as vitamins C and K. They're much easier to peel than rutabagas, too. So there's that. More

This Valentine's Day, instead of blowing big bucks on a restaurant meal, why not pour a big ol' glass of red wine and whip up this lightened version of Better Homes and Gardens' Spinach Lasagna? It has all the cheesy goodness of regular spinach lasagna, minus a few extra calories. More

It's elegant and fairly easy. Also: extravagantly spiced, just barely sweet enough, and filled with fruit flavor (the non-Froot Loop kind). It's the kind of dessert you'd serve to guests after a hearty dinner, and they'd never know it was low-calorie, with pretty decent doses of protein and fiber. More

This Tofu and Mushroom Marsala recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers cookbook is unexpected. It's unexpectedly hearty, despite being completely meatless. It's unexpectedly brothy, almost like a soup. It's unexpectedly unfussy, especially for a recipe with the words "tofu" and "marsala" in the title. More

Is there a greater leafy green than Swiss chard? It's more versatile than Meryl Streep. It's edible both raw and cooked. It's packed with vitamins A, K, and C. Plus, it's related to the sea beet, which is really fun to say out loud. Bitter, but not so much as broccoli rabe, chard is lovely own its own, in soups, or as part of a bigger recipe. More

Italian Egg-Drop Soup, adapted from Eating Well, should start your resolution in the right direction. Surprisingly hearty and super delicious, it's also a powerhouse of fiber and protein that comes together in under 30 minutes. Not to mention, it will feed an invading army of lifestyle changers. More

The best part about this recipe is the addition of clam. Largely sustainable and virtually fat-free, it's an interesting twist on what can occasionally be a fairly staid recipe. Buying a more upscale brand will only help the flavor of your dish, as some find bargain-basement clams to be a little tough and perhaps even a tad tasteless. More

White Bean Bruschetta is classy without being fussy, and, thanks its bean-and-vegetable topping, pretty healthy for a passed appetizer. Plus, it doesn't make too much of a mess, which is always helpful. More

Roasted Pepper Halves with Bread Crumb Topping, from Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, is simple to prepare, yet impressive enough to elevate the most pedestrian of meals, up to and including a cold slice of pepperoni pie. The peppers act as both flavoring agent and serving vessel, making it lighter than most breaded hors d'oeuvres. More

Maintaining a healthy diet is difficult under any circumstances. When you're moving, it's nearly impossible. Your home is a mess, your cooking gear is packed, and takeout is just so much easier. However, this black bean soup adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything is excellent under any circumstances, and particularly good for movers. More

The good news is that the dish is comparatively light for Turkey Day, and the spuds themselves cook beautifully. Essentially braised in vegetable broth and milk, they hold their shapes well and come out in creamy, tender little disk. The texture is a nice alternative to standard mashed potatoes, especially if you're serving multiple mushy sides. More

Healthy food has its time and place, and it's not necessarily the fourth Thursday in November. However, when a Thanksgiving recipe is nutritious and delicious, there's no need to leave it off the holiday table. That would just be mean. With that in mind, Ellie Krieger's Honey-Roasted Sweet Potatoes need to go on your Turkey Day menu, post-haste. Satisfying and subtle, they'll please guests of every age. More

What this is not: an authentic Moroccan tagine, cooked in a clay vessel procured from a three-month, Sheltering Sky-style quest to find myself.
What this is: a fast, healthy weeknight meal evoking traditional North African flavors, but accessible enough to please my ultra-picky sister, who subsides primarily on tuna sandwiches and Diet Coke. More